NATIONAL NEWS
India’s Aprajita Sharrma selected for the prestigious ITU position
An Indian official has been selected as vice-chairperson of the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Council Standing Committee on Administration and Management, giving India a leadership position. Ms Aprajita Sharma, an IP&TAF Service officer, has been appointed vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Administration and Management at the International Telecommunication Union’s Council sessions in Geneva from March 21 to March 31, 2022. Aprajita will continue to serve as vice-chairperson of the Council Standing Committee in 2023 and 2024, and as chairman in 2025 and 2026. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations’ information and communication specialised organisation. The Plenipotentiary Conference and the Administrative Council manage the ITU.
Axis Bank takes Citibank’s India consumer business in a Rs 12,325 crores
Citigroup has announced that Axis Bank will be acquiring Citibank’s India consumer business for an amount of USD 1.6 billion (Rs 12,325 crores) in an all-cash deal. This transaction will be including Citibank India’s consumer banking businesses, which include retail banking, credit cards, consumer loans, and wealth management. This transaction will also be including the sale of Citibank’s non-banking financial company consumer business, Citicorp Finance (India) Limited, which comprises a financing business that is asset-backed and also includes construction equipment and commercial vehicle loans, and a portfolio of personal loans. It is an exchange of assets or a single asset for cash and no other monetary means, such as exchange of stocks or financing are used. The most common way of settling all-cash deal are wire transfers or check and the physical form of cash is generally avoided.
Centre extended foreign trade policy till Sept 30
The Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20 has been extended by six months, until September 30, 2022. The present Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20, which is effective through March 31, 2022, has been extended until September 30, 2022, according to a notification from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. Following the Covid-19 outbreak, the policy was first extended for a year, until the end of March 2020, and subsequently for another year, until September 30. The strategy lays out recommendations for boosting exports to boost economic growth and create jobs, as well as incentives under various programmes like Duty-Free Import Authorisation (DFIA) and Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) (EPCG). Tea, steel, chemical, and pharmaceutical exporters to Russia are pleading with the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to intervene, as millions of rupees are at stake.
Meghalaya would be hosting the 83rd National Table Tennis Championship 2022
Meghalaya is geared up to host the 83rd National Table Tennis Championship 2022, which will take place at the SAI Indoor Training Centre, NEHU in Shillong from April 18 to 25. This is the second time the Northeast has hosted the world’s largest table tennis tournament. The State is expecting around 650 people to attend, with 450 of them being players and the rest being coaches and support personnel. He went on to say that the state is expecting a variety of officers from several states, including Haryana’s Deputy Chief Minister. This tournament is being hosted in honour of the State’s 50th anniversary of statehood, he said, adding that the cost of hosting the tournament is projected to be 1.5 crore rupees, with a total of 10 players from the State scheduled to compete.
Chandrapur district of Maharashtra records third hottest place in the world
According to the El Dorado weather website, Chandrapur was the third hottest city in the world, with a maximum temperature of 43.2 degrees Celsius. According to the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Nagpur was also the hottest city in Vidarbha, with a maximum temperature of 41.6 degrees Celsius, followed by Akola. As per the El Dorado Weather, Kayes city of Mali is the hottest place on earth with 44.4 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, Segou of Mali is second in the list with 43.8 degrees Celsius whereas Chandrapur is third in the list.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
World’s Biggest Electric Cruise Ship made its maiden voyage in China
The largest electric cruise ship in the world has returned back to port in Yichang in central Hubei province, China after travelling up and down the Yangtze River for its maiden voyage. This cruise ship has been powered by a 7,500-kilowatt-hour massive-sized marine battery. This battery has been provided by Contemporary Amperex Technology, the No. 1 battery manufacturer for electric cars in the world. The developer of this ship, China Yangtze Power has plans to use this electric ship as the starting point for expanding the marine electric vehicle market in China. The name of the ship is Yangtze River Three Gorges 1 and it is a 100 per cent electric cruise ship that has been developed and built in China. This ship is 16 meters wide and 100 meters long and has the capacity to carry around 1,300 passengers.
Iga Swiatek wins Miami Open tennis title 2022
Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek defeated Naomi Osaka of Japan, 6-4, 6-0. In the final match to claim the 2022 Miami Open tennis tournament. For Swiątek, this is her fourth career WTA 1000 title and the sixth singles title overall. Also, this is her 17th straight title win. The victory will now place Swiatek to the No. 1 spot in the women’s rankings. With the victory, the 20-year-old Swiatek becomes only the fourth woman to win the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments back-to-back, a feat known as the “Sunshine Double” given the tournaments’ respective locations in California and Florida.
